Can opener



Ja6.9,1940. I 7 wmgm'ns 2,186,666

on! OPENER.

Original Filed Jar x 26,1937 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 //W 45 I Q j 45 I F1513 INVENTOR. B MM 7% 6% ATTORNEYS.

I Jan. 9, 1940. w. H. CURTIS CAN OPENER Original-Filed Jan. 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTOR 55 suitable welding, to an attachment plate or the of the plate 21 raises and lowers the wheel. 55

Extent-ed. Jan. 9, 194% I STTES PATENT QFFICE Vi'illiamv H. Curtis, Cleveland, Ohio Application January 26, 1937, Serial No. 122,396 v Renewed November 30, 1939 .2 Claims. (Cl. 30-45) This invention relates to a simple and effective bent ends may serve directly to attach the mechanism for opening rolled-rim-sealed cans, machine to a wall, as will be hereinafter shown. such as now commonly used for containing foods, The plate 5 is of substantial nature and adapted oils, and many other commodities. The primary to detachably secure the frame rigidly to a build 5 object is to provide an improved machine for-the ing part or cabinet as by the provision of a pair 5 above and similar pin-poses. of slots 1 at the bottom edge (see Fig.4), and a Another object is to provide a can opener havkeyhole-shaped slot 8, having a restricted portion ing improved means for automatically puncturing 8' above the frame 1. This permits the frame a can; and, more specifically, a means for such to be detachably secured by three screws in such 10 purpose which will not require auxiliary hand relative position that they contact simultaneously 10 operated levers or complicated parts. with the upper edges .of both slots 1 and the A further object is to provide an improved restricted portion 8' of the keyhole-shaped openmeans for automatically ejecting the can and ing 8. The heads and shanks of screws so posiwithdrawing the knife from contact therewith tioned, prevent movement of the machine, except when the cutting operation has been completed. bodily vertically and then outwardly to detach ll Another object is to provide an improved means it. for guiding the can, which means will be auto- Referring to the can opener mechanism per se 'matically adjustable for rims of various widths this includes a knife l0, having a sharpened (literally heights), and in case of irregularities edge H, and point l2, adapted to pierce the can;

on such rims. a feed-wheel M having teeth l5 (preferably A further object is to provide an improved shaped similarly to those of a circular saw); a

supporting means for detachably securing a can guide l6 for abutting the upper rolled rim of the opener mechanism to .a wall or other suitable can; and means to support the knife, feed-wheel support. and guide. Said means will now be described.

Other objects and features of the invention will The knife in may be carried directly on a plate 25 become apparent from the following description H, which forms the guide l6, and the plate, in relating to the accompanying drawings, showing turn, secured to an arm I8, pivoted to the frame a preferred form. The essential characteristics I as at Hi. The plate I! and arm l8 may be comare summarized in the claims: bined' into one part, as will later be shown. The

Referring to the drawings, Fig. l is a plan view arm l8 extends fiat against the upper margin of 30 showing the can opener mechanism hereof, and a the frame l, and its end is reversely turned, as at portion of the can being opened; Fig. 2 is a side 2ll,so that the outer end of the frame I is slidably elevation of the opener, showing the upper porembraced between parallel portions of the arm, tion of such can in broken lines; Fig. 3 is a fragthe arm being guided for movement in a plane 5 mentary View showing the side of the mechanism parallel to the frame, while held securely against opposite that shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional any other movement. The arm constitutes a; view of the mechanism and portions of the can movable mounting for the knife l0, and it is noradjacent the wall being cut, the section being mally, held against a fixed abutment, such as 9. taken substantially along the line 4- -4 on Fig. 2; pin 22, by a coil spring 23, having one end oper- I Figs. 5, 6, and 7, are views corresponding to Figs. atively engaging the bend end portion 20 of the 40 2, 3 and 4, but showing a modified form of maarm I8, and the other suitably attached to the chine; Fig. 8 is a sectional detail taken as indiframe member I, as at an outward projection 24 cated at 8-8 on Fig. 6; Figs. 9 and 10 are views thereof.

corresponding to Figs. 5 and '7 of a further modl- The feed wheel I4 is mounted on an axle 25 fled machine, and Fig. 11 is a fragmentarydiawhich as shown in Fig. 4 is threaded at its outer 45 grammatic side view of still another form. end into the,center of the wheel, the threads Referring again to the drawings, I indicates being slightly riveted over, at 25', to prevent the main supporting framework of the machine, detachment, in service. Such riveting does not which, as shown, comprises a one-piece generally prevent detachment and replacement of the rectangular plate having a flange 2, extending wheel, should the latter become worn or broken 50 outwardly substantially at right angles from its in service. bottom edge. End marginal portions of the plate The axle is supported in a sector shaped plate and flange may be turned at right angles, as at 3 21 pivoted to the frame below the normal operand 4, respectively, and secured, as by rivets or ating plane of the wheel I! as at 28. Swinging The axle 25 has a cylindrical enlargement adjacent the wheel, which comprises, as shown, a bushing 30 adapted to roll the entire length of a curved slot 3i in the frame I, the longitudinal center line of which is concentric with the axis of the pivot 28; so that the plate 21, carrying the feed wheel and axle can move freely from the position shown in Fig. 2, to a position such that the wheel is disposed well below the point of the knife, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2.

On the opposite side of the frame I, a non-circular (e. g., squared) portion 33 of the axle 25, adjacent the slotted head 26 carries a pinion or gear wheel 35 and a crank 35. The bushing 3|! prevents the wheel M and pinion 35 from binding against the swinging plate 21 and the side of the frame, since the length of the bushing is slightly greater than the combined width of the plate and frame stock. When the wheel I4 is put on the bushing may be clamped between the wheel and pinion or may engage a shoulder on the axle so that the bushing is left to turn freely.

The pinion 35 has a pitch circle which is the same as the external periphery of the feed wheel, and its teeth are adapted to mesh with those of a circular rack member Ml, having an appropriately arranged set of teeth 4!. Preferably, the teeth of the pinion and rack are pointed, to facilitate meshing by radial engagement. The rack serves to carry the feed wheel M from the position in dicated in broken lines, nearly into the operating position shown in Fig. 2, simply by turning the crank in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3 (counter-clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2), and causing the pinion to travel up the rack. The pinion 35 automatically disengages the rack teeth ll, but only after the feed wheel H has securely gripped the rolled rim of the can, and the top of the can has been punctured by the knife. The rack 40, which may comprise simply a fiat metal plate, is pivoted as on a screw 43, so that it may rock slightly, as between a pair of abutment pins 44 and 45 on the frame. This slight movement is to facilitate reengagement or the pinion with the teeth in the event the teeth are relatively disposed point-to-point when the pinion is turned back as described, to effect such reengagement. The crank 36 may have an outwardly bent portion 36 in order to clear the rack 40, its attaching screw 43 and the abutment ins; and is provided with a suitable handle 36".

It may be mentioned that all portions of the mechanism which are subject to wear, may be suitably hardened, or may be made of, material such as will adequately resist expected wear. Preferably, the knife and feed Wheel are of tool steel and the guide part I], rack 40 and pinion 35 of suitably hardened steel.

Having in mind that the frame, in use, is slightly tipped counter-clockwise from the-position shown in Fig. 4 (as is usual in can openers), the operation of the machine is as follows: With the plate 21 in the lowered position, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, the operator places the rolled rim A of the can over the teeth of the feed wheel, so that the surface portion of the rim,

adjacent that'engaged by the teeth, is stopped by the arcuate margin of the plate 21, which extends beyond the working radius of the teeth, in a direction away from the pivot 28, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. In the above described lowered position of the plate 21, the pinion 35 is in the broken line position shown in Fig. 3; and it will now' be seen that by turning the crank clockwise, as shown in Fig. 3 (counter-clockwise, as shown in Fig. 2), the feed wheel assembly, including the axle and plate, are bodily elevated along the slot 3|, by the intermeshing rack and pinion, thereby raising the can and causing the knife to puncture the top, as shown in Fig. 4; the up per rim of the can being brought tightly against the guiding surface IS on the arm I8. The mechanism is so designed that the guiding surface i6 shall normally be maintained, by the spring 23, closer to the working radius of the feed wheel than the vertical width of any can rim, so that the rim of the can has to raise the arm I8 against the pressure of the spring 23 in the elevated position of the feed wheel. Thus the spring force will always be exerted in a manner tending to cause the teeth of the feed wheel to slightly puncture the rim of the can and grippingly engage it.

During the cutting operation, the side wall of the can rests against a portion 2 of the flange 2 on the frame, so that its side well does not rub on the feed wheel. The severed portion of the rim is pressed tightly against the adjacent upper inner margin of the can, so that there are no rough edges resulting from cutting the top. The severed disc drops out freely if the can is inverted, or may be grasped when it bends upwardly out of the can (as happens when the disc is nearly severed), and then held out and finally removed when the cuttlng is complete. The can stays firmly in place without having to hold it at any stage after the top is first punctured, as described. When the top has been cu; all around, the operator-simply reverses the direction of rotation of the crank, and before the feed wheel has disengaged the rim of the can, the pinion teeth will have reengaged the rack teeth 4|, whereupon continued reverse rotation of the crank results in the feed wheel conveying the rim of the can to a position well below the knife, so that the can may be removed from the machine by straight outward bodily movement of it.

The machine, according to Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, operates similarly to the mechanism according to the preceding figures but is considerably simplified, with the view to marketing it at less cost for lighter duty.

The attachment for-the frame may be as indicated in Figs. 5, 6 and 8, wherein alternately positioned oppositely bent ear portions 01 the frame 5i are provided with downwardly facing slots 52 adapted to engage suitable headed pins or screws set into a wall in the proper position to seat simultaneously in the slots, as already described. Either form of machine may have this arrangement.

A further simplification resides in omitting the sector-shaped pivoted plate, which carries the feed wheel axle in the previously described form and omitting the separate attachment plate for the knife on the yieldable arm which carries it. In lieu of providing the pivoted plate for the axle and feed-wheel assembly, the frame 5i has a through slot 4, having a ramp portion 55 terminating upwardly in a horizontal portion 56. The wheel and axle assembly is arranged very similarly to that previously described, except that there is provided, externally of the spacer bushing 30a, another freely rotatable bushing or roller 51, which rolls in both portions of the slot 56. The bushing 30a holds the feed wheel i4 and pinion 35 slightly out of embracing contact with the intermediate body of the frame, so that the axle and wheel assembly cannot tilt, with respect to the frame.

The feed wheel and axle assembly is moved positively up into operating position, upon clockwise rotation of the crank (Fig. 6) by the intermeshing of the teeth of the pinion 35, with a yieldingly mounted rack carried on the frame. This rack may be perfectly straight and normally held parallel to the ramp portion of the slot 54 by any suitable spring means.

The rack may comprise a generally rectangular stamping of sheet-metal, pivoted as by a pin or rivet 6| to the frame, and haying an arm 62 extending past the horizontal portion 66 of the slot. The arm portion 62 has no teeth on it. The rack may be held in aboutthe position shown in Fig. 6, by a hairpin-type spring, having a circular (partially closed) loop clamped under the head N of an attaching rivet, and two free arms, which ing prearranged stress sufficient to normally hold the rack in the position shown. A stop pin 6'! may be positioned so as to engage the arm 62 and prevent the premature unmeshing of the rack and pinion teeth, while the axle and feed wheelassembly is moving up the ramp.

It will be obvious, from Fig. 6, that the pinion teeth" finally disengage the rack teeth after the work (e. g., top of a can), has been punctured and the feed Wheel has taken hold of the rim of the can and is pressing it upward against the guide l6 on the undersurface of the arm l8. When the can has been cut and the feed wheel and axle assembly is to be lowered, with reference to the knife, this is accomplished simply by reversing the rotation of the crank, causing the feed wheel to ride backward on the rim of the can, (still engaged with the yielding guide l6),

whereupon the rack and pinion teeth are again reengaged and the axle and feed-wheel assembly positively lowered by the rack. If the rack and pinion teeth have a tendency to engage on their points, then the rack is raised against the action of the spring until the teeth move out of endtc-end contact, and mesh.

Referring to Figs. 9 and 10, these illustrate how the machine of Figs. 1 to 4 may be economically made yieldingly adjustable to compensate for variations in can rim widths and to accommodate irregularities without having to move the knife. The modifications shown comprise a fixed plate 18a, which carries a guide member Ila having the guiding surface I6 for the rim of the can; a C-shaped spring 21a, an upper loop Ill of which embraces the bushing 30 of the feed-whee.v and axle assembly, and a lower loop H of which is pivoted to the frame as on a headed pin 28a; and a depression 3la in the slot ii in which the bushing 30 moves or rolls. The depression or downward enlargement of .the slot 3| affords clearance for the bushing when the axle and wheel assembly is pushed down by the can rim,

one edge of which engages the feed-wheel and the opposite edge of the fixed guide surface l6.- In Fig. 11 the modifications relate to yieldingly supporting the wheel and axle assembly when the same is driven up a ramp surface, as by the rack and pinion connection 35, 60 of Fig. 6. In this case a leaf spring 15 partially occupies the slot 64a- (corresponding to the slot 64 of Figs. 5 and-6)": the spring being about as wide as the stock of the frame 5|, so that the spring does not project laterally from either side of the frame. One end of the spring is anchored to the frame, as by being clamped in place in a slot 16 in the frame by a rivet TI. The free portion of the spring forms the actual ramp surface, and the wheel and axle assembly (bushing 30a to be exact) rides up the. slot, in going to operating position, the free end being depressed by the bushing, as indicated by broken lines, so as yieldingly to urge the feed-wheel into engagement with the rim of the can and to compensate for variations in rim width, etc. In this construction the roller 61 (shown in Fig. 7) is omitted; and the plate llb, which carries the knife and has the guide I6, is secured directly and fixedly to the frame.

The machine may be power-driven without requiring essential modification. The cutting elements may be variously modified and transposed as to position. A rotary knife may be used instead of that shown. The relative terms; horizontal, vertical, top, etc., are for convenience only, since the machine may be operated in any wheel is journalled and which is adapted to carry the wheel toward and away-from the knife,,a pinion rigid with the feed-wheel and a rack mounted on the frame for limited movement in the plane of extent of its teeth, and engageable by the pinion to carry the feed-wheel toward and away from the knife. 1

2. A can opener comprising a frame, a knife and bodily movable feeding wheel on the frame, means adapted to guide the movably mounted wheel in such manner that the knife and feeding wheel may relatively approach each other,'a pinion connected with the movably mounted wheel, a toothed feed rack adapted to engage the pinion and pivoted to said frame, the feed rack being yieldably mounted so as to be movable away fromthe pinion, and a spring maintaining the rack in engagement with the pinion, the rack extending in the direction of movement of the feeding wheel.

WILLIAM H. CURTIS. 

